Diet Soda is actually drinkable now
Posted by Dick-the-Peacock@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 146 comments
I’ve known Diet A&W was good for at least a decade, but only recently discovered that Sprite Zero is good, too. Coke Zero is just ok, but compared to the Diet Pepsi I tried to drink in the 80s and 90s, it’s nectar of the gods. And let’s not even talk about Tab. I had an insatiable sweet tooth as a kid but that stuff just tasted like poison.
Or maybe our tastebuds just tolerate artificial sweeteners better once we’re this old?
Jolly_Werewolf_7356@reddit
It's not drinkable at all.
Twisted_Spinster@reddit
The zero sugar version of A&W is pretty good. I tend to only drink soda if there's rum in it :)
TheVioletEmpire@reddit
Club soda is about the only fizzy thing I drink these days.
lollroller@reddit
100% agree. Regular soft drinks are far far too sweet for me now. I've been drinking Diet Coke for over 10 years, and even it is starting to taste sweet, if you can believe that.
Jolly-Sandwich-3345@reddit
Was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic (not a big shock as it runs in my family) and gave found Mountain Dew Zero to be drinkable.
misterpickles69@reddit
Baja Blast Zero is good
elphaba00@reddit
Baja Cabo Citrus Zero has a bit of a tropical flavor
jrtski@reddit
Canada Dry ginger ale zero is actually really good.
elphaba00@reddit
Or as my husband calls it, “the mixer”
Surprise_Fragrant@reddit
Interesting... CDGAZ is one of the only zero drinks that I don't like. I feel like there's a random vanilla flavor in there that throws it off, and dampens the crisp gingeriness.
jrtski@reddit
Then you would like the Seagram's zero version of ginger ale.
Phobos1982@reddit
Been drinking diet pepsi for over 30 years now.
AlmiranteCrujido@reddit
Tab used saccharine (or outside the US, cyclamate) which had a bitter aftertaste. A few non-brand diet colas did too.
Diet Coke/Diet Pepsi used aspartame on its own. It has a noticeable aftertaste although it's not a specifically bitter one.
Newer diet sodas, starting somewhere a little more than 20 years ago - with Coke Zero being an early example - use a blend of sweeteners (aspartame + acesulfame potassium or more rarely, sucralose + acesulfame potassium) where the combination of getting some of the sweetness from each results in a lot less noticeable "diet flavor" aftertaste.
There's also stevia, which hits my "this tastes like licorice" supertaster and I can't tolerate it.
ebeth_the_mighty@reddit
To me, Stevia has a chemical aftertaste (ironically, since it’s natural). I don’t notice aspartame, but can’t do stevia.
AlmiranteCrujido@reddit
Stevia is much worse, for sure.
I can do aspartame-only Diet Coke in a pinch, but definitely prefer the newer dual-sweetener ones.
I've also hit a few sucralose-only ones that aren't bad.
Jmazoso@reddit
The Dr. Pepper people know black magic.
Prestigious-Thing716@reddit
Diet strawberry and cream Dr Pepper is the best
Dependent_General897@reddit
Diet Dr. Pepper is crack-lite.
happy-gofuckyourself@reddit
Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper is soo good
gabrielroth@reddit
Don’t go too far. I drank Coke Zero every day because it’s delicious and it fucked up my stomach.
Dick-the-Peacock@reddit (OP)
How much every day? I’m averaging one per day, which doesn’t seem to impact my health.
gabrielroth@reddit
Yeah I had one every day and it destroyed my gut bacteria. Insomnia, indigestion. Then I became a gut guy and started eating kimchi. If you have a bunch of weird symptoms that seem gut-oriented, consider replacing the Coke Zero with kombucha.
Endlessknight17@reddit
I honestly can't tell the difference between coke and coke zero.
Dick-the-Peacock@reddit (OP)
I can, that’s why it’s just ok to me.
BuccoFever412@reddit
Same. I love Coke Zero. Cannot stand Diet Coke
BigRudy99@reddit
Any of them taste fine if you can overcome the adjustment period. Your brain adapts to the flavor to the point where it just tastes normal to you after awhile and regular soda will start to taste strange.
Dick-the-Peacock@reddit (OP)
That’s the thing, I really tried to adjust to Diet Pepsi back in the day, for months, and it never stopped tasting awful.
whatsupgrizzlyadams@reddit
Tab is so horrible that its good. Im a type 1 diabetic, so I've only had sugar soda maybe 20 times in my life. (RC is my favorite..mmmm).
I grew up on tab, fresca, diet rite and diet faygo. Diet town club at Christmas.
When Pepsi light w/ lemon and diet coke came out I was ecstatic !
rpbm@reddit
Did you get the diet mandarin orange slice back in the day? That stuff tasted as good as the full sugar soda. Only diet I’ve ever found that did.
whatsupgrizzlyadams@reddit
I cant drink orange sodas. When I was 5 I drank at least 6 fanta orange sodas before I got caught. I threw up and dry heaved for at least 2 hours. The thought of orange soda to this day makes me gag a little.
rpbm@reddit
Oh no! I can sympathize-when I was little my grandmother let me eat so much white chocolate it made me sick, and now I can’t stand the thought of it.
whatsupgrizzlyadams@reddit
I did the same with circus peanuts
Purist1975@reddit
It's all bitter garbage to me.
Micheal_Noine_Noine@reddit
Diet soda is metabolism killer. Be careful on how much of that you consume.
tommywacker@reddit
What metabolic markers does it impact? What in diet soda is the culprit? Genuinely curious.
Micheal_Noine_Noine@reddit
Just google it and find a reliable resource.
tommywacker@reddit
There are no reliable sources that I’ve found. Post links. Actual evidence from credible sources. We’re waiting.
VR46Rossi420@reddit
That’s pseudo science at its peak.
Micheal_Noine_Noine@reddit
You gotta believe what you want to believe. Take care of that body of yours. Your choice.
picasso-enjoyer@reddit
Soda is so terrible for you. It causes severe health issues, weight gain, diabetes, degraded teeth, and everything related. Sugar, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, couldn’t be more American. Its not age its culture. Just my 2 cents.
fwambo42@reddit
doesnt matter which ones are good when 12 packs sell for 12 bucks. fuck that noise
kstweetersgirl2013@reddit
Try A & W zero, Sunkist Zero and Cherry Float Coke Zero. They are so good. The Cherry Float Zero is relatively new and super tasty. Its just Cherry vanilla coke but so good.
ElYodaPagoda@reddit
A&W Zero is so good! Normally I drink Coke Zero, but it's nice to have a root beer with some pizza like the good old days.
PoofBam@reddit
Cherry Pepsi Zero is really good if you can find it.
xiphoid77@reddit
Pepsi zero is awesome. For some reason Coke Zero is terrible, but Diet Coke is great
hi_sarah98@reddit
Absolutely agree!
L_wanderlust@reddit
Zevia and poppi taste way better
Sad-Second-9646@reddit
Olipop too. All the others have a weird aftertaste or I get really thirsty afterwards.
Kennesaw79@reddit
All those still have carbs and sugar. While not a concern for everyone, diabetics like me can't drink them, so the diet and zero versions are a better option.
L_wanderlust@reddit
Zevia has no carbs or sugar
realityguy1@reddit
Sucralose and aspartame are both the devil’s sweeteners. No thanks. The good Lord told us to enjoy sugar.
jables13@reddit
Sorry, the best I we can do is high fructose corn syrup.
altairstarlite@reddit
Starry Zero is even better than Sprite Zero. Not quite as acidic bitter
mamaberry15@reddit
Diet Sunkist Orange is also the bomb.
FrizkyDevil@reddit
If you have an Aldi nearby, try their Italian Blood Orange Zero. It's my go to orange soda.
Grunge4U@reddit
I lost my taste for soda years ago. It's coffee and tea for me.
UrsaMajor7th@reddit
Maybe it’s your local bottlers. Are you in the USA? Our diet pop was always drinkable
59apache01@reddit
The old Diet Dr. Pepper in the blue can was the nastiest stuff ever.
grasshpprs@reddit
A few years ago, Dr. Pepper Group had a line of several of their brands called 10, which was diet soda, but with 10 cal worth of sugar. I believe ginger ale, 7-UP, A&W or another root beer. I thought it was amazing cause it just took the edge off of the sweetener/flavoring aftertaste. Kind of like what spindrift is to sparkling water. Then one day it was gone, and I don’t know why.
yourmomsinmybusiness@reddit
Nobody bought it? HEB grocery in Texas has a 20cal line of store brand sodas that I buy for the kids sometimes. It’s not bad.
Griffstergnu@reddit
I would rather have a diet soda (Dr Pepper, Mt Dew) than a fat soda any day
YamTop2433@reddit
Diet pop is like decaf coffee is like NA beer. That said, I gave up fizzy sugar water years ago and now drink my whiskey neat.
DogsAreOurFriends@reddit
It’s best avoided, esp if diabetic. (Which surprised me.)
Bartlaus@reddit
Tab in the 80s was basically a punishment. The only people I knew back then who drank diet sodas were older relatives with diabetes.
Sad-Corner-9972@reddit
It tasted like poison because?
Enjoy sparingly, OP
peepeeinthepotty@reddit
Coke Zero completely broke my soda habit with how good it was when it first came out. Nowadays I’m more of a coffee or maybe a zero sugar energy drink if I’m driving but can’t even drink the regular stuff now.
TheRave1972@reddit
I don't think I've drunk a regular soda in over 10 years, after realizing I'd drink three or more pints of Coke/Pepsi when eating out. Purest definition of "empty calories" (not to mention the sugar). No mystery that I was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic in my mid-30s.
paulrin@reddit
Sprite Zero is great - also for a cocktail mixer. Coke Zero inevitably gives me a headache - not sure why, I think the Aspartame. I personally think Pepsi Max is still too sweet. Don’t get me started on Diet Dr Pepper, I swore by that for a decade, now can’t drink it.
vistaculo@reddit
Diet Squirt is better than regular Squirt
RetroBerner@reddit
Nice try, all those "diet" drinks taste like cancer to me
TwistedMemories@reddit
I hate artificial sweeteners. They just don't agree with me.
Cool_Jelly_9402@reddit
They started giving me really bad indigestion so I had to cut them all out too
HistorianJRM85@reddit
Stevia totally messes up stomach. even just taking a sip puts me in pain.
khogue76@reddit
I’m a Diet Dr Pepper junkie.
airforceteacher@reddit
Cherry coke zero and Sprite Zero are the most palatable for me.
thejake1973@reddit
Mug zero and Dr Pepper cream soda zero are great
seattlemh@reddit
I can't. Diet soda tastes gross. I haven't found a sugar replacement that doesn't taste terrible.
PapaTua@reddit
Splenda is the only one that tastes good to me.
seattlemh@reddit
Splenda upsets my stomach. It also has a distinct taste. Every sugar substitute has a very flat, metallic flavor to me.
Dogzillas_Mom@reddit
I have all the sugar replacements too. Especially stevia. Now, I’ve grown stevia in my backyard and it’s great. A little pinch will do ya. But the processed into white powder and anything like “healthy” sodas with stevia as a sweetener… blech. I can taste it at 500 paces and for a week after.
mus-theatrNsportsOmy@reddit
The non-cola diet drinks are def better than the diet colas.
BusterBus75@reddit
Diet Dr. Pepper is okay.
Ass_Cream_Cone@reddit
Stubborn_Strawberry@reddit
I used to drink Fresca. Turns out aspartame (and grapefruit!) are migraine triggers for me. I drink Bubly now.
mikedorty@reddit
Far and away the best zero cola I have tried is RC Zero. It is hard to find but its great. Mellow Yellow zero is pretty good qnd Orange Crush zero is great.
HewDewed@reddit
I really wish Fanta would make a Grape Zero!
mikedorty@reddit
Oh man, me too. I accidentally bought a 12 pack of grape fanta because it was next to the zero sodas. It took forever to pawn it off on guests.
DJ_3345@reddit
I prefer Zero sugar sodas. RC Cola, Coke, Mr. Pibb, and Sprite are the best I've had. I don't believe all the Big Sugar propaganda that it's bad for you. I switched from sugar soda about 8 years ago. It helped me loose 90 pounds. Not the soda, but the calorie-deficit it helped create. I've kept most of that weight off ever since.
Kennesaw79@reddit
Mr. Pibb has always been my favorite soda. I had to switch to diet/no sugar soda, as was so excited when Pibb Xtra Zero was released. I bought a case of cans (only way I could find it), and it was okay. A few weeks ago I saw the (back to original name) Mr. Pibb Zero in a 20 oz. bottle, and holy crap - so much better and closer to the original.
Also, I tried Dr. Pepper Zero, and it was so good I thought it was actually the full-sugar version. Much better than the Diet.
LadyNorbert@reddit
I love both Coke Zero and Pepsi Zero. I grew up drinking Diet Pepsi with my grandfather, but the zero sodas are both infinitely better than their diet counterparts. Plus, unlike Diet Pepsi, it doesn't feel weird to drink Pepsi Zero without him since he never had it.
Karthanon@reddit
Monster Rehab Tea + Lemonade.
OrlandoOpossum@reddit
I wonder how many years of my life have been taken from the 1000s of these I've had
Karthanon@reddit
Absolutely none!
Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit
Nope. I've seen what it does. Soda is a once a month maximum here.
Donkey-Hodey@reddit
Generally_Tso_Tso@reddit
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/3-reasons-you-should-kick-your-diet-soda-habit
Diet soda should not be consumed.
HewDewed@reddit
Your user nickname is spot on for your comment!
Well done! Please accept my (virtual) award. 🥇
Generally_Tso_Tso@reddit
Thank you very much. I will treasure it always.
Active-Possibility77@reddit
A&W Zero Sugar FTW
HewDewed@reddit
YES!!!!!!
Old_Till2431@reddit
Fanta orange zero.
HewDewed@reddit
I’m really waiting for a Fanta Grape Zero!!
AbsolutesDealer@reddit
If I’m gonna drink a soda I’m going all the way.
stovislove@reddit
No it's not
Agamemnon66@reddit
Diet Dr. Pepper is actually good.
mt80@reddit
Dr Pepper Zero is great
Agamemnon66@reddit
I need to try that one.
whatsupgrizzlyadams@reddit
Diet Vernors is also pretty darn good.
OrganicIgnorance@reddit
Dr Pepper Zero for the win
writergal75@reddit
Have you tried the Dr Pepper Zero with Cream Soda? Yummy
noisician@reddit
I like Coke Zero but the Aldi store brand Summit Cola Zero is also really good and a lot cheaper.
quitebuttery@reddit
Coke Zero was way better when it first came out like 20 years ago. It was almost indistinguishable from Coke. They’ve changed the formula twice.
Willing_Crazy699@reddit
Diet Vernor's
HTLM22@reddit
When I was a kid Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda was THE BEST! Seriously. Haven't had it in decades.
CommunicationNew3745@reddit
Damn, that stuff was incredible, wasn't it? And there was a Chocolate Fudge Cherry, too.
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1qyfsfb/til_that_in_1985_canfields_sold_200_million_cans/#:\~:text=TIL%20that%20in%201985%2C%20Canfield's%20sold%20200%20million%20cans%20of%20Diet%20Chocolate%20Fudge%20soda.&text=Yup%20their%20cream%20soda%20and%20Cherry%20Ola%20Cola%20were%20fantastic.
Abpoe77@reddit
Been on diet Coke for 6 months. I'll have a real Coke or sweet tea if we go out to eat on the weekend. During work it's 1 - 12 oz coke and no caffeine after 3.
bony-tony@reddit
I really like Diet A&W.
Actually, I like to dilute it with water at about 1:5 soft drink-water ratio, because then it just drinks like slightly zhuzhed up water.
Yeah I'm weird, wanna fight about it?
lackadaisicalday@reddit
Do you dilute it with sparkling water or regular?
bony-tony@reddit
Tap water.
Scared-Ideal-1483@reddit
Sprite Zero in a Freestyle machine is glorious. A&W Zero is amazing. Squirt Zero is my go-to.
AllUpInItYo@reddit
Diet Pepsi has always been the GOAT of diet sodas.
TheRedGiant77@reddit
I’ve been drinking diet for years. Growing up, it’s what my parents drank so that’s what was in the house. Regular soda tastes off to me now.
DrHarryWolper@reddit
Same. I started drinking it in 1986 and couldn't switch to regular if I wanted to.
Trolkarlen@reddit
The zeros have a more syrupy mouth feel that resembles the original sugar texture more.
Thirty_Helens_Agree@reddit
I went to the University of Wisconsin where there’s a huge food science department as part of the ag school. Whenever I think of this kind of stuff, I imagine some smart young Badger researchers studying how to make a compound that makes diet soda feel like sugar soda on the tongue.
GrandMoffJerjerrod@reddit
Canada Dry Zero Sugar.
IntelligentNovel1967@reddit
OMG, are you me? That is the bomb.
GrandMoffJerjerrod@reddit
F’n A it is!!!
conscientiousrevolt@reddit
Bro sugar might make you fat. Artificial sweeteners cause cancer.
Expensive_Rhubarb_87@reddit
Can’t drink any of the diet stuff. I react poorly to aspartame.
What I have done is switch to the tiny cans. And I’ve gotten so used to that amount of soda that I can’t imagine drinking a full size can.
And I have gotten to the point I prefer the Kroger store brand version of Dr. Pepper over the real thing.
graciegirlsmom@reddit
Yep, aspartame is a headache trigger for me. I've found a few off brand diet sodas without it, but they are hard to come by.
Inwardly-Outgoing@reddit
Coke zero tastes close to the real thing for me. My caffeine-starved diabetic taste buds rejoice
aluke000@reddit
Used to enjoy Coke Zero when it first came out until they changed the formula. Pepsi Zero is actually better in my opinion than the current Coke Zero.
CoverCommercial3576@reddit
Has been for decades.
Upset_Peace_6739@reddit
I am currently in a zero sugar Dr. Pepper phase. I like the zero sugar better than the diet. I am happy to see more flavours moving in that direction. Ideally I wouldn’t drink it at all but here we are.
My Nanny always drank Fresca. That stuff was vile.
yanknga@reddit
Yep. Nothing more delicious than an ice cold Tab.
Fresh_Salamander707@reddit
I've never been able to go to diet sodas - I think the whole "aspartame causes cancer!" rumours in my youth, but also remembering the weird aftertaste. Is that better now with Coke Zero? I will try one perhaps, it would be good to cut back on sugar..
Cross_22@reddit
I used to drink regular Coke. Diet Coke to me tastes terrible - like something that is 50% water. Coke Zero on the other hand seems close enough to the original that I switched many years ago and never looked back. Only at room temperature does it have a weird aftertaste IMO.
CatStretchPics@reddit
I prefer Coke Zero to the regular version
HTLM22@reddit
same - I really cannot tolerate regular.
ConFewzHed@reddit
I’ve found that most of the full strength sodas are almost like drinking the syrup of it. Most of the zero sugar sodas are decent. Except a&w. Avoid that one.
jvlpdillon@reddit
I watched a YouTube video, so my source is shady, about how Diet Coke was supposed to taste like Tab. That and combined with men the idea did not want to drink anything called diet, they made Coke Zero to taste more.like regular Coke. Also the black label was meant to look masculine. That may all be BS but being a Type 2 diabetic I dig on Pepsi Zero, or as someone on Reddit called it Pepsi Black. I of course feel very manly when I drink it.
First-Ad-7960@reddit
The Zero products are definitely closer to the original flavors. But I'm never giving up my Diet Coke.
jsharr2@reddit
LOVED root beer as a kid. My grandfather was diabetic and drank Diet A&W, so my grandmother would let me drink as many as I wanted when I stayed with them. Fast-forward forty years, and I now drink A&W Zero quite regularly (though I’m not diabetic). Since it’s the only soda we keep at the house, my son drinks it also and loves it. 🤣
Nervous-Rooster7760@reddit
Zero varieties are superior to diet. Coke Zero is one of my favorites, Diet Coke I can’t stand anymore. Dr Pepper zeroes like blackberry, cream soda and strawberries & cream also good.
I remember Tab and Pepsi light from 80s. They were not good.
dreaminginteal@reddit
No it's not.
It's not as vile as the old diet crap was, but it's still horrible. The sweetener is HYPER sweet, cloying, and hangs onto the back of my tongue. The old stuff was bitter and sort-of-sweet and nasty as hell.